Chronic Pain, Its Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

In today’s time of extreme workloads and shorter deadlines, pain has become a part of normal routine. From traumatizing experiences to minor cuts and bruises, everyone has experienced them. In fact, people have started to take the pain for granted. However, not treating pain properly can result in a more serious issue later.

Many classes of pain exist such as headaches, backaches, sprains, etc. Nonetheless, people have learned to deal with these issues through painkillers and sheer will. However, the latter doesn’t heal the pain; it just masks it. Though these pains and aches are troublesome in their own right, they all pale in comparison to chronic pain.

What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain, although not a disability, can last from months to several years. Anyone who experiences chronic pain must take it seriously because its presence can have many adverse effects. Most common incidents of chronic pain involve the brain, spinal cord, or the limbs of the body. Chronic pain has no specific cause and is not limited to physical injuries.

Moreover, the symptoms of chronic pain are not very noticeable and can be mistaken as soreness or stiffness. Especially, if you participate in sports or your line of work requires excessive physical exertion.

Symptoms of Chronic Pain

Symptoms of chronic pain can vary from mild aches to excruciating pain. These symptoms often leave victims of chronic pain unable to perform the simplest of tasks. Therefore, they become victims of depression, which causes further damage to their bodies. Some of the symptoms of chronic pain are as follows:

* Burning

A burn that is taking too long to heal could be the sign of chronic pain. Moreover, a burning sensation is also believed to be the sign of chronic pain if it has lasted more than three months. Other than burning, feelings of excessive itching or electrocuting can be indications towards chronic pain.

* Soreness

This symptom is the least noticeable as participants of sports and athletic activities often feel this sensation due to excessive training. Alongside soreness, a prolonged period of stiffness can also be chronic pain.

* Infections or Swelling

Sometimes, swelling due to injuries or cuts can cause infections. As a result, they can lead to complete limbs being unable to function properly. Therefore, causing immense pain for often months at a time.

Causes of Chronic Pain

Due to the symptoms being unclear and vague causes can also go unnoticed. There is no clear answer because the causes can range from psychological traumas and mental disorders to genetics and physical injury. Although the International Association is taking the necessary steps for the Study of Pain, there is no clear answer.

Furthermore, the cause can also depend on what the patient has consumed most recently which resulted in pain. Chronic pain takes an enormous toll on the host’s body. Due to the pain, the patient might not be able to perform the simplest tasks. In turn, this can cause weakness and continuous health-related issues. Here are some of the possible causes of chronic pain:

* Years of Poor Posture

The way you sit can be one of the many causes of your chronic pain. However, looking at the sedentary lifestyles that people are living around the world, it should not be surprising. A sprain in your back due to prolonged sitting or due to awkward standing positions can be the cause of your chronic pain.

* Lack of Care

The human body is very fragile, small nuances in a person’s lifestyle can do permanent damage to the body. In other words, if you don’t pay proper attention to wounds and injuries, they can lead to a much bigger problem. Your carelessness or lack of treatment for previous wounds can also exacerbate, causing swelling. Even minor cuts can grow an infection, making the body very hard to function.

* Genetics

This is the oddest of all the causes. Perhaps, you are taking very good care of your body and still end up being a victim of chronic pain. A study done by Generation Scotland proved that genetics could be the cause of chronic pain. By studying and examining 24,000 people, the study found that 18% of people reported having chronic pain and their parents before them.

* Other Diseases

Other diseases or disabilities can also make a person prone to chronic pain. For example, patients suffering from heart disease are twice as likely prone to be victims of chronic pain than those who don’t have a heart condition. Furthermore, patients who have scoliosis, which is an irregular bending of the spine, are also very vulnerable to chronic pain. Other diseases such as diabetes or hypertension can lead to depression, which, in turn, make the person liable to chronic pain.

Treatment of Chronic Pain

Due to pain, in general, being a very personal experience, doctors rely on the patient’s description of pain and severity. Hence making the process of identifying a proper cause becomes quite tricky and can often turn into a guessing game for doctors. However, there are many different types of treatments that can cure the symptoms of chronic pain:

* Yoga

Yoga has been around for centuries. The various yoga postures stretch muscles and correct the posture of a person. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that it aids in the healing of chronic pain. It has specific poses catered towards different diseases and to improve chronic pain. Hence, people having chronic body pains can take advantage of yoga.

* Opioids

Though it can be a dangerous drug in its own right, it has managed to heal many symptoms of chronic pain. However, experts have advised against using Opioids if the patient has a history of abusing drugs or cancer-induced chronic pain. Nevertheless, it has been a very successful drug with minor side effects like constipation, which is curable by consuming liquids.

* Pain Management Program

This treatment is the most convenient and most motivating of all the previous treatments. A Pain Management Program is a more rehabilitative approach towards chronic pain, present for mental disorders are therapists. Moreover, the presence of physiotherapists makes this program a must-go for anyone who suffers from mild chronic pain.

* Bioelectric Therapy

It is a relatively weak form of therapy but can be very useful in treating chronic pain. Bioelectric therapy helps your body release endorphins that block the message of pain from going to the brain. This therapy provides temporary pain control and is most effective as part of the Pain Management Program.

Conclusion

Many treatments are available to cure chronic pain, but the choice of the treatment depends on the type of chronic pain. It is noteworthy here that those treatments do not cure chronic pain itself, but they do suppress, and in most cases, cure the symptoms. If you have painful sensations that have not gone away for months, it is advisable that you visit your physician as soon as possible.

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Brandi Marcene is a regular contributor to Natural Food Series. Having written on virtually every topic under the sun, Brandi is passionate about health and wellness, particularly the health benefits of different natural products. She has written content for leading brands, including Dell and Haute, as well as other Fortune 500 companies. Brandi has a Bachelor's in Journalism from the Georgia Perimeter College.

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